***************************************************** Edupage is a service of EDUCAUSE, a nonprofit association whose mission is to advance higher education by promoting the intelligent use of information technology. *****************************************************
TOP STORIES FOR FRIDAY, MARCH 10, 2006 Wisconsin Hacker Contest Out of Bounds Google Buys Web-Based Word Processor Amazon Wants to Sell Downloads WISCONSIN HACKER CONTEST OUT OF BOUNDS Officials at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have pulled the plug on a Mac OS X hacking contest started by a systems engineer at the university. The engineer, Dave Schroeder, connected a Mac computer to the university's network and invited hackers to try to compromise the machine within five days. Schroeder did not, however, clear the contest with his superiors, and when the institution's CIO learned of it, the computer was removed from the network and the contest was over. Brian Rust, spokesperson for the university, said the contest "was not an activity authorized by the UW-Madison." Rust noted that the institution's "primary concern is for security and network access for UW services," saying that during the time of the contest the university "was able to handle the traffic, and there were no compromises to university systems." Rust said that although Schroeder was "well-meaning," he will have to conduct such experiments in the future on his own, "not using university systems." CNET, 8 March 2006 http://news.com.com/2100-7349_3-6047735.html GOOGLE BUYS WEB-BASED WORD PROCESSOR Google has acquired Upstartle, a company that makes a Web-based word-processing application called Writely. The move gives another indication that the company known for search technology is earnestly working to expand its presence with users. Google already offers desktop search and e-mail, and the addition of Writely to Google's offerings moves it closer to competing with Microsoft. With Writely, users share access to documents with other users on the Internet. Groups of users who have access to a document can collaboratively edit it, not unlike how wikis are created and edited. Documents can then be published online or converted to common formats such as Microsoft Word. Alan Yates, general manager for Microsoft Office Information Worker Product Management Group, said that a handful of others offer similar services as an alternative to Microsoft Office products, but he noted that 400 million people worldwide use Microsoft's tools. Scott Kessler, equity analyst with Standard and Poor's, acknowledged that Google's acquisition of Writely would have a minimal effect on Microsoft, but he said the two companies are moving closer and closer to being direct competitors. San Jose Mercury News, 10 March 2006 http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/14064839.htm AMAZON WANTS TO SELL DOWNLOADS Online retailer Amazon.com is reportedly considering selling downloads of movies and TV shows that buyers would be able to burn to DVDs. Internet retailers as well as entertainment companies have been looking for a business model that allows online sales of movies and TV shows yet also benefits the studios. A number of services currently offer downloads, but Amazon's would be the first to allow consumers to keep the videos they download. The retailer is said to be negotiating with Paramount Pictures, Universal Studios, and Warner Brothers on the deal, though officials at Amazon would not comment on the rumored service. Amazon's ownership of imdb.com, which it bought in 1998, is expected to give Amazon an advantage competing with other movie and TV download services as well. The Web site, which stands for Internet Movie Database, has become the leading movie site on the Web, passing Yahoo Movies in usage, according to comScore Media Metrix. New York Times, 10 March 2006 (registration req'd) http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/10/technology/10movies.html ***************************************************** EDUPAGE INFORMATION To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your settings, or access the Edupage archive, visit http://www.educause.edu/Edupage/639 Or, you can subscribe or unsubscribe by sending e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To SUBSCRIBE, in the body of the message type: SUBSCRIBE Edupage YourFirstName YourLastName To UNSUBSCRIBE, in the body of the message type: SIGNOFF Edupage If you have subscription problems, send e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] ***************************************************** OTHER EDUCAUSE RESOURCES The EDUCAUSE Resource Center is a repository for information concerning use and management of IT in higher education. To access resources including articles, books, conference sessions, contracts, effective practices, plans, policies, position descriptions, and blog content, go to http://www.educause.edu/resources ***************************************************** CONFERENCES For information on all EDUCAUSE learning and networking opportunities, see http://www.educause.edu/31 ***************************************************** COPYRIGHT Edupage copyright (c) 2006, EDUCAUSE
